Colorado State Partnership Grant Program to Improve Minority Health

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Office of Health Equity (OHE) coordinates, educates and builds capacity for state and
local public health programs and communities. The Office of Health Equity’s focus has recently been expanded to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) populations, and disabled and low-socioeconomic -status communities.

Project Abstract

The project is intended to improve service to customers with limited English proficiency across Colorado’s public health system; promote use of social
determinants of health data; reduce health disparities as they relate to cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity and overweight; and educate
underserved communities regarding the Affordable Care Act
and Colorado’s health insurance Marketplace
. The project’s target population includes racial and ethnic minorities and linguistically diverse communities; LGBT communities; communities with low
socioeconomic status; and individuals and organizations.

The Office Health Equity will provide centralized language services (interpretation and translation), technical assistance and training, education and
screening sessions, and data sheets related to the social determinants of health for four chronic illnesses (cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and
obesity/overweight). The office will also work with the Cancer Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease Grant Program and the Health Disparities Grant Program
to make changes to the RFA and contracts to ensure better saturation and reach for education, screening and referral related to these issues.

The Office of Health Equity hopes to:

Increase capacity for Department of Public Health and Environment staff to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services

Increase the capacity for statewide organizations to adopt and implement the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services
in Health and Health Care (National CLAS Standards)